Charles B. Nam, Ph.D., has been an integral part of the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy as the Founding Director of the Center for Demography and Population Health (CDPH).
Even after Dr. Nam’s official retirement in 2019, he has remained involved in multiple ways, including through his continued research, involvement with the CDPH faculty and staff, and generous donations to help students succeed.
“As its Founding Director Dr. Nam played a fundamental role in the creation and success of FSU’s Center for Demography and Population Health,” said Tim Chapin, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. “Because of his vision, FSU is now home to a demography program that is top in the Southeast with a 100 percent placement rate after graduation.”
Dr. Nam’s career path began in the military. In 1944, during the height of World War II he was assigned to the United States Army’s 170th Field Artillery Battalion. Following his time in the army, Dr. Nam attended New York University where he studied Applied Statistics.
After graduation, Dr. Nam spent several years at the United States Census Bureau, gaining skills in statistics and demography. After earning a master’s and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of North Carolina, Dr. Nam came to Florida State University. In 1967, after working as a Professor of Sociology and the Chair of the Sociology Department, Dr. Nam founded the Center.
From the beginning, it was very important to Dr. Nam to establish a truly interdisciplinary program pulling from disparate disciplines – such as sociology, urban and regional planning, and economics – to contribute to the holistic study of population health.
When the CDPH was first founded there was only one undergraduate and one graduate course, both of which were general in nature. Dr. Nam recruited faculty from across the nation who had specializations in different areas of demography, to help reinforce the interdisciplinary nature of the Center.
During his time at Florida State University, Dr. Nam positively contributed to the education of many successful demographers. Dr. Nam’s students have successfully found jobs at the U.S. Census Bureau, in private industry, and in academia. Several of Dr. Nam’s students are deans or directors of demography programs across the country.
Among Dr. Nam’s students is Robert Hummer, Ph.D., the current Director of Demography at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and President of the Population Association of America. Dr. Nam also taught Lynne Cossman, Ph.D., who serves as the inaugural Dean of the College for Health, Community and Policy at the University of Texas at San Antonio. When Dr. Nam first came to FSU, he had never taught a course. “It was a challenge at first,” said Dr. Nam, “but I really enjoyed it because trying to communicate ideas like you find in demography takes a certain skill.” Dr. Nam would go on to earn a teaching award from the Department of Sociology in 1992, as well as an FSU Teaching Award in 1994.
To honor Dr. Nam’s contributions as both the Founder of the CDPH and an influential Professor, Elwood “Woody” Carlson, Ph.D., established the Charles B. Nam Lecture in Sociology of Population. The lecture series brings in a speaker every year to discuss their research in demography. The lectures occur every March, which coincides with Dr. Nam’s birthday.
While at FSU, Dr. Nam also produced research in topics such as demography and the sociology of education, social stratification, general demography, and mortality studies. Dr. Nam received ten major grants and many federal grants to fund his research during his tenure.
Even after his retirement, Dr. Nam has maintained a role as a Research Associate and has continued to work on a research project with Monica Boyd, Ph.D., a Professor at the University of Toronto. The project established the Nam-Powers-Boyd Occupational Status Scale, which examines socioeconomic status using occupation as a variable.
In addition to Dr. Nam’s contributions as the Center’s Founding Director, he’s also made significant financial contributions to students and faculty in the Center to ensure its growth.
In 2003, Dr. Nam helped the College to establish an endowed professorship in his name, the Charles B. Nam Professorship in the Sociology of Population, to attract highly regarded demographers to the Center.
Income derived from the professorship serves to advance research and allow for increased opportunities for travel, enabling the recipient of the professorship to present at conferences and engage with fellow demographers across the country.
Currently, Mathew Hauer, Ph.D., CDPH Associate Director and Associate Professor of Sociology, holds the Charles B. Nam Professorship in the Sociology of Population. Dr. Carlson was the Nam Professor from 2002 up until Dr. Hauer’s appointment.
Dr. Nam also established and provides ongoing support for the Charles B. Nam Scholarship Award in Demography and Population Health for graduate students currently enrolled in the Master of Science in Demography, or undergraduate students intending to pursue a Master of Science in Demography.
Dr. Nam’s enduring dedication and philanthropic support have significantly enriched the CDPH, contributing to its continued prominence as a hub for demographic research and scholarly excellence.
As we celebrate National Philanthropy Day, we acknowledge Dr. Nam’s exceptional legacy and enduring impact on our institution.
For more information about the Center, visit coss.fsu.edu/CDPH. If you would like to contribute to the Center for Demography and Population Health’s general giving fund, click here.